Subject: Re: RFC: Simple screen editor for NetBSD
To: John Hayward <John.C.Hayward@wheaton.edu>
From: SUNAGAWA Keiki <kei_sun@ba2.so-net.ne.jp>
List: current-users
Date: 01/08/2000 09:16:16
Hi,
John Hayward <John.C.Hayward@wheaton.edu> wrote:
John> I'd recommend pico which comes with pine. The main
John> advantage pico has is that it is NOT a mode editor.
John> Mode editors like vi and emacs increase the learning
John> curve - Also editors which don't have menu items are
John> not as good for occational users.
Um, wrong. vi is NOT a mode editor AT ALL if you mean that
there are command mode and insert mode in vi, on the other
hand, only one `command mode' (I don't mention ex or lisp
modes here:-).
E.g., `i (something could be lots of content...) ESC' is
just one command to insert texts to cursor position. The
basic triplet rule of `command object ESC' is applicable
here. Note that you can even do `4 i foobar ESC' as well.
I usualy tell this to the people who sais that vi is
difficalt since it's modeful editor.
Yes, our manpage should be modified.
>> .. how about we just add vilearn to the base set? ;P
John> Thanks for the pointer to vilearn - we are finally
John> getting rid of our ultrix machine which had learn on
John> it and I pointed new students to learn vi. Now I have
John> an alternative. johnh...
Our vi is happy with arrow keys. The command should learn
at least is Insert, Append, and quit (ZZ I use).
*
If the new editor foobar is sit on /usr/bin of just
installed system and not in install media itself, I'm pretty
sure that novices can't edit /etc/rc.conf with it because
the system is in single user at that point. So, the foobar
editor should sit on install media.
I propose that the heavily broated all-in-there (AKA kitchen
sink) install kernel to contrast with current NetBSD way.
Using colorful, user-friendly display is not so bad, but we
have various platforms that supports only serial console for
the moment.
--
SUNAGAWA Keiki <kei_sun@ba2.so-net.ne.jp>
Hack on NetBSD, and your code runs on over 20 architectures!